Man Next Door Allegedly Posted Child Porn Online Says Lakeland Criminal Defense Lawyer, Thomas Grajek

Lakeland, FL (Law Firm Newswire) January 6 , 2014 – Neighbors of Christopher Colangelo were dismayed to learn he had been charged with allegedly posting child porn.

“Charlotte County is a relatively quiet place,” says Lakeland criminal defense attorney, Thomas Grajek. “Or it was until one man was charged with posting very graphic child pornography on the Internet. While the police may state they have enough evidence to prove the man, 52-year-old, Christopher Colangelo dabbled in child porn, they cannot be certain he was the person who posted the content online and kept it on a computer in the home where he lived.” Nor can police be certain there was not someone else in the home that used the same computer and accessed Mr. Colangelo’s account at Tumblr.

Neighbors in the man’s community are up in arms over the charges, shocked that they live next door to a man that would do something like that, particularly when the neighborhood is a beehive of children playing in the streets and roaming around the area. Evidently the local County Sheriff’s office and an FBI task force raided the man’s home after Tumblr’s online managers filed complaints against the account holder listed at Colangelo’s address. The complaint alleged that the man had uploaded a variety of child porn pictures on Tumblr.

“According to police reports, their raid turned up the same pictures on the man’s computer and a file folder named “young,” indicated Grajek. On the face of the evidence, it could be said that the man appeared to be guilty as charged, with possessing and distributing child porn. “However, this is only circumstantial evidence, or evidence by association. If there is another resident or residents in the home, or others came and used the computer in question, this opens a whole other cans of worms. More so if any other person used or uses the Tumblr account.”

Even though a good case could likely be made for Colangelo at least being aware of what was on his computer, there may be no clear evidence he was actually the person who posted the material online. Anyone facing charges such as this needs to discuss their case with an experienced criminal defense attorney and not volunteer any information to anyone until an attorney has been retained. There are a number of defenses that may be mounted in response to cases such as this one, but the individual charged must be aware that although there may be a credible and reasonable defense, it may not always result in the dismissal of the charges. “However, there are ways to mitigate any sentence handed down,” Grajek pointed out.